Hi, I am trying to find software to convert an old compac presario 1200 into a dvd player. This notebook is not used online. My daughter just uses it to watch movies on. So I guess my question is, is there a lite linux program just for that? If so could someone please point me in the right direction so she will leave my new notebook alone. Thanks for your help.

Perhaps try something like:
http://movix.sourceforge.net/
http://www.geexbox.org/en/index.html

Thanks for the quick response. Got a 404 ERROR on source forge, but will try them again later. DL'ed GeexBox and getting ready to try it. I guess I should have mentioned that this notebook currently runs Win 2000 Pro. As I am still learning about open source I have a feeling I will need to have a Linux OS on this notebook to make this work. Or is GeexBox an OS that I can install over this screwy windows system?

Yes, Geexbox is a Linux distro (OS), and it will replace win.
(ie. MS will be wiped!)

uberNUT69, thanks again for your help. Latest problem is that for some reason I cannot get this disc to install. I have been to GeexBox and tried to find some help, but, I have gotten nowhere. I DL'ed both of the programs for win, they are both on disc but when I reboot my notebook, it boots to win 2k. The BIOS is set for disc first. As I have booted to live Linux discs on here before. Any other thoughts, or maybe try the other site you mentioned. Anyway, Thanks again.

isn't GeexBox for turning an early-generation XBox into a linux machine?

DSL (Damn Small Linux) is small and light and can use Debain sources to install software; that might be more useful (if I am right about this Geexbox thing).

I have a new Acer laptop and DVDs just don't play smoothly on it. I've not looked into it, but I think it might have something to do with UDMA. That one runs MEPIS 3.3.2 and it works great otherwise.

lefty, this could be the reason my old notebook won't load the program. I could always try DSL. Hopefully it will work as easy as Knoppix. This notebook does not go online and I want this as simple as possible for my daughter. If it had more ram and bigger HD I would install Knoppix, which I know works right off the gitgo. But it has a lot of extras I don't want for this. Just a simple DVD interface for her movies. Thank You for your suggestion.

GeexBox has nothing to do with XBoxes, reading the homepage
should make that absolutely clear.

I haven't had a problem browsing either of the links I posted earlier.

If you want a more complex solution I'd start with a Debian netinst CD
http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/
get Debian up and running, and then install mplayer.

However, you'll be looking at a much steeper learning curve.

Perhaps you could just start with a live-cd like Ubuntu or Puppy,
and do a hard drive install?

I am going to try sourceforge again. I could not get GeexBox to install. I was able to run DSL. Knoppix starts to boot then freezes. Bummed me out. Is there a lite Knoppix or a way to pick and choose what you need? But like I said earlier, GeexBox would not boot. Don't know if I am doing something wrong. But it wouldn't boot to the machine I DL'ed it to either. XP Pro for now. Burned it using Nero. Checked and the files are there. Also I don't think Ubuntu comes with an active DVD player. Unless the latest distro does. Thanks tho. I will keep trying.

I would think that it would be a simple matter to
install mplayer on ubuntu, however you might find
that xine or totem do just as well.

I tried running Ubuntu Live and it froze. So far the only distro I have been able to run is DSL. And the distro I have only shows xmms. The more I mess with the thing the worse it is sounding.